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Premier League Preview: Hull City

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Preview, analysis and news for the Premier League 2016/17 season for Hull City. Hull City season preview: Steve Bruce..

A lot has changed since Mohamed Diamé's long-range bullet fired Hull City back into the Premier League in the play-off final - the Tigers now enter the lions' den that is the Premier League without the manager who guided them there.

Steve Bruce stepped down from his post at the KC Stadium just weeks out from the start of the campaign, citing frustration at a lack of transfer activity for the club as the reason for his departure. It left the play-off champions in a state of chaos.

Currently, only Will Mannion has joined - and he's a goalkeeper who will most likely make up the numbers. They've let go of Sone Aluko and others too - making the emotions of the manager who left very understandable. It goes without saying: when you're in the Premier League, you must spend. The amount of money other clubs are throwing around is borderline insanity.

Image: Getty Images

After having two consecutive seasons in the Premier League, Hull City were condemned back down to the Championship after placing 18th, one season after making it to the final of the FA Cup. Unlike this preseason, they spent heavily prior to that, but with an early injury to Snodgrass, things capitulated and nothing worked.

A win over Sheffield Wednesday after they finished fourth sent them through to glory in the play-off final, after a season where they just grew into quality - exemplified by a six-goal thumping of Charlton in January. Things went well there, but as they come back into the English top flight, they are big underdogs.

Tigers in the lower league may now be reduced to minnows; since the lack of transfer activity not only makes it difficult to win - but a new manager coming in has very little to work with. Hull City may only have their owners to blame - it all could be very different with just a few changes.

This article is part of the 2016/17 Premier League preview series by Waqar Hussain and Nisar Khan, examining the chances of all 20 contenders for the upcoming campaign. Find previews for other teams here.